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‘Game Changer’ Events Bring Out the Best in Employees

CHENNAI, India - One afternoon when most people at the Ford Global Business Services office complex in Chennai were making their way back to work after lunch, the opening lines of a popular Tamil song suddenly blasted out from a nearby speaker. As people turned around to see the commotion, a bunch of employees donning Ford T-shirts and EcoSport bandanas sprung out, dancing to the beat.

They had just witnessed their first ever Flash Mob.

After a few minutes of dancing, participants took a bow and drew the attention of the audience to a shiny all-new EcoSport displayed nearby.

“I was stunned when I heard the song blaring, and just as I turned to look, two people jumped from around me and began dancing. I couldn’t believe we were having a flash mob here in our food court,” said Haripriya, who witnessed the event. “When I realized it was for the Ford EcoSport, I just couldn’t contain my excitement. I have been waiting for this car.”

The weeks and months leading up to Ford India’s recent launch of the urban SUV in New Delhi were one of dedication and hard work for its workforce. But the Employee Relations and Human Resources teams at Ford India and Global Business Services made sure that employees had some fun with their ‘Game Changer’ employee engagement events.

“All the dancers are a part of an in-house dance team at Global Business Services called ‘F-Steppers’. They have been tirelessly practicing for almost two months after work hours displaying their commitment to Ford in India,” said Suresh Sahoo, who heads the Sports and Recreation Club at GBS.

For GBS employees, the fun wasn’t over. They proceeded to the auditorium for the EcoSport Carnival. Employees could get their face painted or get inked up with a temporary tattoo. They could play a round of mini golf and try their luck with the wheel of fortune. They could put on a cowboy hat, neon wigs and crazy glasses at the photo corner or listen to parrot astrology. They could play fun minute-to-win-it games or watch mesmerizing shadow theatre.

“In all my years at Ford, I’ve never experienced such energy, enthusiasm and fun surrounding a product launch. We are all Game Changers,” said David Dubensky, executive director, Global Business Services.

The EcoSport Carnival was the grand culmination of a series of engagement events that were organized by Global Business Services across five facilities in India and for the plant employees by Ford India.

Over the last few months, Ford in India employees learnt all about the Ford EcoSport - the trims, colors, engine specifications, and a whole lot more through the EcoSport Familiarization Program. Their knowledge on the car was subsequently tested during a series of pop-up quizzes on all floors. They unleashed their creativity during the “Recreate EcoSport” poster competition submitting over 30 entries. They battled it out on the cricket field during the “Game Changers Cricket Tournament.”

At Ford India there were engrossing skit, mime and 5 minutes of fame contests, and mock advertisement-creating contests called ‘Adzap,’ and even a poetry contest among the employees which saw a very enthusiastic response. There were singing and dancing contests in solo and group categories, while for sports lovers they competed in cricket, volleyball, throwball and carrom tournaments at the plant level.

“There was something for everyone, and the Game Changer events made us compete hard for the sake of our team’s prestige,” said P Tirupathi Raj , captain of EcoBoost team which took home the cricket trophy in Ford India defeating the TCF team.

“Throughout these two months, our employees were engaged and excited about the EcoSport. A lot of effort has gone into making this possible with multiple teams and numerous volunteers contributing over several days. The leadership team has not just supported us every step of the way, but they have been active participants in all the events,” remarked Padmapraveen Ramadaass, manager, Human Resources, Global Business Services.

“This was a unique initiative to keep our employees engaged and immersed in our latest urban SUV and generate excitement so that they turn into the best brand ambassadors for the EcoSport,” said V. Pandiyan, vice president, Human Resources.

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